Snake oil, mercury ointment, and powdered rhinoceros horn have all been alleged miracle remedies with purported effects ranging from relieving joint pain to bestowing eternal life. However, as medical research rapidly progressed throughout recent history, their claims of effectiveness have … Continue Reading

Reflexology is the practice of massaging, percussing, and applying pressure to certain areas of the foot, hand, or ear to achieve a wide range of full-body medical effects from pain relief to tempering aggressive children. While practitioners of reflexology typically … Continue Reading

Ayurveda, or “science of life,” is one of the oldest healing systems in the world. The first known practitioners of this ancient medical practice resided in India approximately 5,000 years ago. Its origins lie in one of the holy books … Continue Reading

Acupuncture is perhaps one of the most well-known alternative medicine treatments available in the United States today. It is considered legitimate enough to be able to be deducted as a medical expense on an IRS tax form and yet is … Continue Reading

In a clinic, a young man is suffering from epilepsy because of a recent brain trauma. The electroencephalogram (EEG) measures his neuron activity. Erratic lines scrawl up and down continuously, and the nurses nearby shake their heads. The medications haven’t … Continue Reading

Although long dismissed as quackery, the medicinal leech has recently made a modern medical comeback and is now being used by doctors to treat everything from reattaching severed fingers and salvaging necrotic tissue to treating potentially fatal circulation disorders.

Picture … Continue Reading

Children with epilepsy who maintain a carefully regulated diet of exclusively fatty foods may drastically reduce their seizures by changing the brain’s metabolic mechanisms.

Feeding epileptic children a high fat diet that would make Michelle Obama cringe sounds like it … Continue Reading

For over a century, chiropractic has been a focal point of intense debate and skepticism in both the medical and non-medical communities.  Based on the practice of correcting misalignments in the spine via manual manipulation, chiropractic is claimed, by those … Continue Reading

Given the growing popularity of eastern and alternative medicines as seen through their relatively steady demand in spite of the recent economic downturn, it’s natural to try to understand their appeal. Why do proponents of eastern medicine swear by its … Continue Reading